Energy-Efficient Co-production of Benzoquinone and H2 Using Waste Phenol in a Hybrid Alkali/Acid Flow Cell.

In both the manufacturing and chemical industries, benzoquinone is a crucial chemical product. A perfect and economical method for making benzoquinone is the electrochemical oxidation of phenol, thanks to the traditional thermal catalytic oxidation of phenol process requires high cost, serious pollution and harsh reaction conditions. Here, a unique heterostructure electrocatalyst on nickel foam (NF) consisting of nickel sulfide and nickel oxide (Ni9S8-Ni15O16/NF) was produced, and this catalyst exhibited a low overpotential (1.35 V vs. RHE) and prominent selectivity (99 %) for electrochemical phenol oxidation reaction (EOP). Ni9S8-Ni15O16/NF is beneficial for lowering the reaction energy barrier and boosting reactivity in the EOP process according to density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Additionally, an alkali/acid hybrid flow cell was successfully established by connecting Ni9S8-Ni15O16/NF and commercial RuIr/Ti in series to catalyze phenol oxidation in an alkaline medium and hydrogen evolution in an acid medium, respectively. A cell voltage of only 0.60 V was applied to produce a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Meanwhile, the system continued to operate at 0.90 V for 12 days, showing remarkable long-term stability. The unique configuration of the acid-base hybrid flow cell electrolyzer provides valuable guidance for the efficient and environmentally friendly electrooxidation of phenol to benzoquinone.

N-doped 3D carbon encapsulating nickel selenide nanoarchitecture with cation defect engineering: An ultrafast and long-life anode for sodium-ion batteries.

Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) hold great potential for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to their multielectron conversion reactions, yet face challenges of poor intrinsic conductivity, sluggish diffusion kinetics, severe phase transitions, and structural collapse during cycling. Herein, a self-templating strategy is proposed for the synthesis of a class of metal cobalt-doped NiSe nanoparticles confined within three-dimensional (3D) N-doped macroporous carbon matrix nanohybrids (Co-NiSe/NMC). The cation defect engineering within the developed Co-NiSe and 3D N-doped carbon plays a crucial role in enhancing intrinsic conductivity, reinforcing structural stability, and reducing the barrier to sodium ion diffusion, which are verified by a series of electrochemical kinetic analyses and density functional theory calculations. Significantly, such cation defect engineering not only reduces overpotential but also accelerates conversion reaction kinetics, ensuring both exceptional high-rate capability and extended durability. Consequently, the optimally engineered Co-NiSe/NMC demonstrates a remarkable rate performance, delivering 390 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1. Moreover, it exhibits an unprecedented lifespan, maintaining a remarkable capacity of 403 mAh g-1 after 1400 cycles and 318 mAh g-1 after 4000 cycles, even at high rates of 1.0 and 2.0 A g-1, respectively. This work marks a substantial advancement in achieving both high performance and prolonged cycle life in sodium-ion batteries.

High-Power-Density Rechargeable Hybrid Alkali/Acid Zn-Air Battery Performance Through Value-Added Conversion Charging.

Rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs) are considered highly competitive technologies for meeting the energy demands of the next generation, whether for energy storage or portable power. However, their practical application is hindered by critical challenges such as low voltage, CO2 poisoning at the cathode, low power density, and poor charging efficiency Herein, a rechargeable hybrid alkali/acid Zn-air battery (h-RZAB) that effectively separates the discharge process in an acidic environment from the charging process in an alkaline environment, utilizing oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) respectively is reported. Compared to previously reported ZABs, this proof-of-concept device demonstrates impressive performance, exhibiting a high power density of 562.7 mW cm-2 and a high operating voltage during discharging. Moreover, the battery requires a significantly reduced charging voltage due to the concurrent utilization of biomass-derived glycerol, resulting in practical and cost-effective advantages. The decoupled system offers great flexibility for intermittently generated renewable power sources and presents cost advantages over traditional ZABs. As a result, this technology holds significant promise in opening avenues for the future development of renewable energy-compatible electrochemical devices.

Three-dimensional N-doped carbon nanosheets loaded with heterostructured Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7 nanoparticles for selective and efficient CO2 reduction.

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) has emerged as a promising approach for converting CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels to achieve a sustainable carbon cycle. However, the development of efficient electrocatalysts with high current densities and superior product selectivity remains a significant challenge. In this study, we present the synthesis of a porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheet loaded with heterostructured Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7 nanoparticles through a facile hydrothermal-calcination method (Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7-NC). Remarkably, the Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7-NC catalyst exhibits outstanding performance towards CO2RR in an H-cell, demonstrating a high CO faradaic efficiency of 92.47% and a current density (jCO) of 15.77 mA cm-2 at 0.87 V vs. RHE. To further explore its potential industrial applications, we constructed a flow cell and a rechargeable Zn-CO2 flow cell utilizing the Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7-NC catalyst as the cathode. Impressively, not only does the Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7-NC catalyst achieve an industrial high current density of 254 mA cm-2 at a voltage of -1.19 V vs. RHE in the flow cell, but it also exhibits a maximum power density of 4.2 mW cm-2 at 22 mA cm-2 in the Zn-CO2 flow cell, while maintaining excellent rechargeability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7-NC possesses more spontaneous reaction pathways for CO2 reduction to CO, owing to its heterogeneous structure in contrast to Ni3ZnC0.7-NC and Ni-NC. Consequently, Ni/Ni3ZnC0.7-NC demonstrates accelerated CO2RR reaction kinetics, resulting in improved catalytic activity and selectivity for CO2RR.

Advanced Hollow Cubic FeCo-N-C Cathode Electrocatalyst for Ultrahigh-Power Aluminum-Air Battery.

The exploration of electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is pivotal in the development of diverse batteries and fuel cells that rely on ORR. Here, a FeCo-N-C electrocatalyst (FeCo-HNC) featuring with atomically dispersed dual metal sites (Fe-Co) and hollow cubic structure is reported, which exhibits high activity for electrocatalysis of ORR in alkaline electrolyte, as evidenced by a half-wave potential of 0.907 V, outperforming that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The practicality of such FeCo-HNC catalyst is demonstrated by integrating it as the cathode catalyst into an alkaline aluminum-air battery (AAB) paring with an aluminum plate serving as the anode. This AAB demonstrates an unprecedented power density of 804 mW cm-2 in ambient air and an impressive 1200 mW cm-2 in an oxygen-rich environment. These results not only establish a new benchmark but also set a groundbreaking record for the highest power density among all AABs reported to date. Moreover, they stand shoulder to shoulder with state-of-the-art H2-O2 fuel cells. This AAB exhibits robust stability with continuous operation for an impressive 200 h. This groundbreaking achievement underscores the immense potential and forward strides that the present work brings to the field.

Resolving the Origins of Superior Cycling Performance of Antimony Anode in Sodium-ion Batteries: A Comparison with Lithium-ion Batteries.

Alloying-type antimony (Sb) with high theoretical capacity is a promising anode candidate for both lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Given the larger radius of Na+ (1.02 Å) than Li+ (0.76 Å), it was generally believed that the Sb anode would experience even worse capacity degradation in SIBs due to more substantial volumetric variations during cycling when compared to LIBs. However, the Sb anode in SIBs unexpectedly exhibited both better electrochemical and structural stability than in LIBs, and the mechanistic reasons that underlie this performance discrepancy remain undiscovered. Here, using substantial in situ transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman techniques complemented by theoretical simulations, we explicitly reveal that compared to the lithiation/delithiation process, sodiation/desodiation process of Sb anode displays a previously unexplored two-stage alloying/dealloying mechanism with polycrystalline and amorphous phases as the intermediates featuring improved resilience to mechanical damage, contributing to superior cycling stability in SIBs. Additionally, the better mechanical properties and weaker atomic interaction of Na-Sb alloys than Li-Sb alloys favor enabling mitigated mechanical stress, accounting for enhanced structural stability as unveiled by theoretical simulations. Our finding delineates the mechanistic origins of enhanced cycling stability of Sb anode in SIBs with potential implications for other large-volume-change electrode materials.

Controllable Electrochemical Liberation of Hydrogen from Sodium Borohydride.

Sodium borohydride (NaBH4 ) has earned recognition as a promising hydrogen carrier, attributed to its exceptional hydrogen storage capacity, boasting a high theoretical storage capacity of 10.8 wt %. Nonetheless, the utilization of traditional pyrolysis and hydrolysis methods still presents a formidable challenge in achieving controlled hydrogen generation especially under ambient conditions. In this work, we report an innovative electrochemical strategy for production H2 by coupling NaBH4 electrooxidation reaction (BOR) at anode in alkaline media with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at cathode in acidic media. To implement this, we have developed a bifunctional electrocatalyst denoted as Pd-Mo2 C@CNTs, wherein Pd nanoparticles are grown in situ on Mo2 C embedded within N-doped carbon nanotubes. This electrocatalyst demonstrates exceptional performance in catalyzing both alkaline BOR and acidic HER. We have developed a hybrid acid/alkali cell, utilizing Pd/Mo2 C@CNTs as the anode and cathode electrocatalysts. This configuration showcases remarkable capabilities for self-sustained, precise, and uninterrupted indirect release of H2 stored in NaBH4 , even at high current densities of 100 mA cm-2 with a Faraday efficiency approaching 100 %. Additionally, this electrochemical device exhibits significant promise as a fuel cell, with the ability to deliver a maximum power density of 20 mW cm-2 .

Enhanced Solar Fuel Production over In2 O3 @Co2 VO4 Hierarchical Nanofibers with S-Scheme Charge Separation Mechanism.

The conversion of CO2 into valuable solar fuels via photocatalysis is a promising strategy for addressing energy shortages and environmental crises. Here, novel In2 O3 @Co2 VO4 hierarchical heterostructures are fabricated by in situ growing Co2 VO4 nanorods onto In2 O3 nanofibers. First-principle calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements reveal the electron transfer between In2 O3 and Co2 VO4 driven by the difference in work functions, thus creating an interfacial electric field and bending the bands at the interfaces. In this case, the photogenerated electrons in In2 O3 transport to Co2 VO4 and recombine with its holes, indicating the formation of In2 O3 @Co2 VO4 S-scheme heterojunctions and resulting in effective separation of charge carriers, as confirmed by in situ irradiation XPS. The unique S-scheme mechanism, along with the enhanced optical absorption and the lower Gibbs free energy change for the production of * CHO, significantly contributes to the efficient CO2 photoreduction into CO and CH4 in the absence of any molecule cocatalyst or scavenger. Density functional theory simulation and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy are employed to elucidate the reaction mechanism in detail.

Hybrid Acid/Base Electrolytic Cell for Hydrogen Generation and Methanol Conversion Implemented by Bifunctional Ni/MoN Nanorod Electrocatalyst.

Combining the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) within an integrated electrolytic system may offer the advantages of enhanced kinetics of the anode, reduced energy consumption, and the production of high-purity hydrogen. Herein, it is reported the construction of Ni─MoN nanorod arrays supported on a nickel foam substrate (Ni─MoN/NF) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for electrocatalytic hydrogen production and selective methanol oxidation to formate. Remarkably, The optimal Ni─MoN/NF catalyst displays exceptional HER performance with an overpotential of only 49 mV to attain 10 mA cm-2 in acid, and exhibits a high activity for MOR to achieve 100 mA cm-2 at 1.48 V in alkali. A hybrid acid/base electrolytic cell with Ni─MoN/NF electrode as anode and cathode is further developed for an integrated HER-MOR cell, which only requires a voltage of 0.56 V at 10 mA cm-2 , significantly lower than that of the HER-OER system (0.70 V). The density functional theory studies reveal that the incorporation of Ni effectively modulates the electronic structure of MoN, thereby resulting in enhanced catalytic activity. The unique combination of high electrocatalytic activity and excellent stability make the Ni─MoN/NF catalyst a promising candidate for practical applications in electrocatalytic hydrogen production and methanol oxidation.

Covalent organic framework-derived fluorine, nitrogen dual-doped carbon as metal-free bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

The construction of heteroatom-doped metal-free carbon catalysts with bifunctional catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desired for Zn-air batteries, but remains a great challenge owing to the sluggish kinetics of OER and ORR. Herein, a self-sacrificing template engineering strategy was employed to fabricate fluorine (F), nitrogen (N) co-doped porous carbon (F-NPC) catalyst by direct pyrolysis of F, N containing covalent organic framework (F-COF). The predesigned F and N elements were integrated into the skeletons of COF precursor, thus achieving uniformly distributed heteroatom active sites. The introduction of F is beneficial for the formation of edge-defects, contributing to the enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity. Attributing to the porous feature, abundant defect sites induced by F doping, as well as the strong synergistic effect between N and F atoms to afford a high intrinsic catalytic activity, the resulting F-NPC catalyst exhibits excellent bifunctional catalytic activities for both ORR and OER in alkaline mediums. Furthermore, the assembled Zn-air battery with F-NPC catalyst shows a high peak power density of 206.3 mW cm-2 and great stability, surpassing the commercial Pt/C + RuO2 catalysts.

Single-atom Iron Catalyst with Biomimetic Active Center to Accelerate Proton Spillover for Medical-level Electrosynthesis of H2 O2 Disinfectant.

Electrosynthesis of H2 O2 has great potential for directly converting O2 into disinfectant, yet it is still a big challenge to develop effective electrocatalysts for medical-level H2 O2 production. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of electrocatalysts with biomimetic active centers, consisting of single atomic iron asymmetrically coordinated with both nitrogen and sulfur, dispersed on hierarchically porous carbon (FeSA -NS/C). The newly-developed FeSA -NS/C catalyst exhibited a high catalytic activity and selectivity for oxygen reduction to produce H2 O2 at a high current of 100 mA cm-2 with a record high H2 O2 selectivity of 90 %. An accumulated H2 O2 concentration of 5.8 wt.% is obtained for the electrocatalysis process, which is sufficient for medical disinfection. Combined theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations verified the rationally-designed catalytic active center with the atomic Fe site stabilized by three-coordinated nitrogen atoms and one-sulfur atom (Fe-N3 S-C). It was further found that the replacement of one N atom with S atom in the classical Fe-N4 -C active center could induce an asymmetric charge distribution over N atoms surrounding the Fe reactive center to accelerate proton spillover for a rapid formation of the OOH* intermediate, thus speeding up the whole reaction kinetics of oxygen reduction for H2 O2 electrosynthesis.

Phase engineering of nickel-based sulfides toward robust sodium-ion batteries.

Nickel-based sulfides are considered promising materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) anodes due to their abundant resources and attractive theoretical capacity. However, their application is limited by slow diffusion kinetics and severe volume changes during cycling. Herein, we demonstrate a facile strategy for the synthesis of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) wrapped Ni3S2 nanocrystals composites (Ni3S2-N-rGO-700 °C) through the cubic NiS2 precursor under high temperature (700 ℃). Benefitting from the variation in crystal phase structure and robust coupling effect between the Ni3S2 nanocrystals and N-rGO matrix, the Ni3S2-N-rGO-700 °C exhibits enhanced conductivity, fast ion diffusion kinetics and outstanding structural stability. As a result, the Ni3S2-N-rGO-700 °C delivers excellent rate capability (345.17 mAh g-1 at a high current density of 5 A g-1) and long-term cyclic stability over 400 cycles at 2 A g-1 with a high reversible capacity of 377 mAh g-1 when evaluated as anodes for SIBs. This study open a promising avenue to realize advanced metal sulfide materials with desirable electrochemical activity and stability for energy storage applications.

Hybrid Acid/alkali All Covalent Organic Frameworks Battery.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), thanks to their adjustable porous structure and abundant build-in functional motifs, have been recently regarded as promising electrode materials for a variety of batteries. There still remain grand opportunities to further utilizing their merits for developing advanced COFs-based batteries. In this paper, we propose a hybrid acid/alkali all-COFs battery by coupling pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone based COF cathode with anthraquinone based COF anode. In such a hybrid acid/alkali all-COFs battery, the cathodic COF favorably works in acid with a relatively positive potential, while the anodic COF preferably runs in alkali with a relatively negative potential. It thus can deliver a decently high discharge capacity of 92.97 mAh g-1 with a wide voltage window of 2.0 V, and exhibit high energy density of 74.2 Wh kg-1 along with a considerable cyclic stability over 300 cycles. The development of the proof-of-concept all-COFs battery may drive forward the improvement of newly cost-effective and performance-reliable energy storage devices.

Development of high-efficiency alkaline OER electrodes for hybrid acid-alkali electrolytic H2 generation.

The development of high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is of great importance for electrolytic H2 generation. In this work, we report in-situ growth of MnCo2O4 nanoneedles and NiFeRu layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets on nickel foam (NF) (MnCo2O4@NiFeRu-LDH/NF) that can function a highly efficient electrode toward electrocatalysis of OER. Such electrode demands an overpotential of as low as 205 mV to reach 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline electrolyte and can run stably over 120-hours continuous operation. A hybrid flow acid/alkali electrolyzer is set up by using the Pt/C as the acidic cathode coupling with the MnCo2O4@NiFeRu-LDH/NF as the alkaline anode, which only requires an applied voltage of 0.59 V and 0.94 V to attain an electrolytic current density of 10 mA cm-2 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively. The present work could push forward the further development of the electricity-saving electrolytic technique for H2 generation.

Aqueous OH- /H+ Dual-Ion Zn-Based Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-based batteries hold multiple advantages of eco-friendliness, easy accessibility, high safety, easy fabrication, and fast kinetics, while their widespread applications have been greatly limited by the relatively narrow thermodynamically stable potential windows (i. e., 1.23 V) of water and the mismatched pH conditions between cathode and anode, which presents challenges regarding how to maximize the output voltage and the energy density. Recently, aqueous OH- /H+ dual-ion Zn-based batteries (OH- /H+ -DIZBs), where the Zn anode reacts with hydroxide ions (OH- ) in alkaline electrolyte while hydrogen ions (H+ ) are involved in the cathode reaction in the acidic electrolyte, have been reported to be capable of broadening the working voltage and improving the energy density, which offers practical feasibility toward overcoming the above limitations. This Review thus takes this chance to investigate the recent progress on aqueous OH- /H+ -DIZBs. First, the concept and the history of such OH- /H+ -DIZBs are introduced, and then special emphasis is put on the working mechanisms, the progress of the development of new batteries, and how the electrolytes improve their performance. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in this field are discussed.

Confined WS2 Nanosheets Tubular Nanohybrid as High-Kinetic and Durable Anode for Sodium-Based Dual Ion Batteries.

Sodium based dual-ion battery (SDIB) has been regarded as one of the promising batteries technologies thanks to its high working voltage and natural abundance of sodium source, its practical application yet faces critical issues of low capacity and sluggish kinetics of intercalation-type graphite anode. Here, a tubular nanohybrid composed of building blocks of carbon-film wrapped WS2 nanosheets on carbon nanotube (WS2 /C@CNTs) was reported. The expanded (002) interlayer and dual-carbon confined structure endowed WS2 nanosheets with fast charge transportation and excellent structural stability, and thus WS2 /C@CNTs showed highly attractive electrochemical properties for Na+ storage with high reversible capacity, fast kinetic, and robust durability. The full sodium-based dual ion batteries by coupling WS2 /C@CNTs anode with graphite cathode full cell presented a high reversible capacity (210 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 ), and excellent rate performance with a high capacity of 137 mAh g-1 at 5.0 A g-1 .

Single-Atom Yttrium Engineering Janus Electrode for Rechargeable Na-S Batteries.

The development of rechargeable Na-S batteries is very promising, thanks to their considerably high energy density, abundance of elements, and low costs and yet faces the issues of sluggish redox kinetics of S species and the polysulfide shuttle effect as well as Na dendrite growth. Following the theory-guided prediction, the rare-earth metal yttrium (Y)-N4 unit has been screened as a favorable Janus site for the chemical affinity of polysulfides and their electrocatalytic conversion, as well as reversible uniform Na deposition. To this end, we adopt a metal-organic framework (MOF) to prepare a single-atom hybrid with Y single atoms being incorporated into the nitrogen-doped rhombododecahedron carbon host (Y SAs/NC), which features favorable Janus properties of sodiophilicity and sulfiphilicity and thus presents highly desired electrochemical performance when used as a host of the sodium anode and the sulfur cathode of a Na-S full cell. Impressively, the Na-S full cell is capable of delivering a high capacity of 822 mAh g-1 and shows superdurable cyclability (97.5% capacity retention over 1000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g-1). The proof-of-concept three-dimensional (3D) printed batteries and the Na-S pouch cell validate the potential practical applications of such Na-S batteries, shedding light on the development of promising Na-S full cells for future application in energy storage or power batteries.

Pseudocapacitive Vanadium Nitride Quantum Dots Modified One-Dimensional Carbon Cages Enable Highly Kinetics-Compatible Sodium Ion Capacitors.

The kinetics incompatibility between battery-type anode and capacitive-type cathode for sodium ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs) seriously hinders their overall performance output. Herein, we construct a SIHCs device by coupling with quantum grade vanadium nitride (VN) nanodots anchored in one-dimensional N/F co-doped carbon nanofiber cages hybrids (VNQDs@PCNFs-N/F) as the freestanding anode and the corresponding activated N/F co-doped carbon nanofiber cages (APCNFs-N/F) as cathode. The strong coupling of VN quantum dots with N/F co-doped 1D conductive carbon cages effectively facilitates the ion/electron transport and intercalation-conversion-deintercalation reactions, ensuring fast sodium storage to surmount aforesaid kinetics incompatibility. Additionally, density functional theory calculations cogently manifest that the abundant active sites in the VNQDs@PCNFs-N/F configuration boost the Na+ adsorption/reaction activity well which will promote both "intrinsic" and "extrinsic" pseudocapacitance and further improve anode kinetics. Consequently, the assembled SIHCs device can achieve high energy densities of 157.1 and 95.0 Wh kg-1 at power densities of 198.8 and 9100.5 W kg-1, respectively, with an ultralong cycling life over 8000 cycles. This work further verified the feasibility of kinetics-compatible electrode design strategy toward metal ion hybrid capacitors.